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Among some staff at MSNBC, #TrumpMeltdownBriefings viewed as yet another proxy fight bw Phil Griffin & Andy Lack. Griffin favored airing but receptive to cutting away when “off the rails," Lack allegedly supports carrying them live. https://www.thedailybeast.com/this-is-absurd-cable-news-staffers-fume-as-networks-keep-airing-bonkers-trump-coronavirus-pressers?source=twitter&via=desktop">https://www.thedailybeast.com/this-is-a... via @thedailybeast
2/ "Top MSNBC hosts appealed directly to Griffin to argue against carrying briefings live. But network has contd to, often only cutting back to its anchors when Trump gets off-track—threshold increasingly diffic to determine, seeing as default posturing is constant meltdown"
3/ "“Why are we still playing this game?” MSNBC staffer fumed after Monday’s presser. “On the one hand, we have a duty to show the news, so we always just wait to see [what he says before cutting away]. But when has this ever been anything other than a reality television show?”
4/ "Over at CNN, concerns about carrying the task-force briefings have been loud and clear, but the network has also continued to air them. However, the cable outlet has attempted to push back on the president’s spiteful outbursts."
5/ "Cable insiders also cont to fear the prospect of booming viewership has given networks pause when considering whether to abandon manic, reality-TV-like briefings. A former network news exec said the pressers—much like Trump’s campaign rallies—had become a ratings boon..."
6/ ".... but said journalists they had spoken to were alarmed at audiences becoming “conditioned” to the nightly press conferences that have lasted for up to three hours."
7/ "Another cable-news insider admitted airing the briefings live had become problematic and expected internal discussions ... “The level of misinformation is disturbing and we need to make a decision how to handle this. [Monday] crossed a line.”
